Angels that soar upon Hellish wings..

Hells Angels iconic shot 1960

They called themselves the Hells Angels because they flew on silk wings into hell itself, bringing a brutal hope for peace with 20 pounds of TNT strapped to each leg. The nickname was a badge of honor, a mark of invincibility, a wartime emblem indicating the toughest of the tough. It was a totem to ward off the worst.

There are three main international "outlaw" clubs: Hells Angels, the Outlaws and the Bandidos. There are many other lesser-known clubs, from the Bandits, Mongols and Satan's Slaves to the Outcasts and the Pagans, but the two main rivals are Hells Angels and the Outlaws.



Hunter S Thompson

Hell's Angels, Hunter S. Thompson's first book, published in 1966, is a highly involved, almost endearing, but highly critical account of the civil chaos, the police hysteria, political polemic and media hyperbole that trailed around after the Northern California motorcycle gangs of the mid-sixties. Rather than assuming the distant stance of the 'objective' journalist, Thompson spent a lot of time partying with the Angels, going on 'runs' (mass bike rides to various locations over holiday weekends) and just hanging out, talking about everything and anything.

Without every apologising for their behaviour - the rapes, or the riots, Thompson in his own singular gonzo style, does a convincing job of getting close to the soul of the biker outlaw, exploring the history and social status of 'white trash', and the influences that make them what they are.

'They are urban outlaws with a rural ethic and a new improvised style of self-preservation.

He was never a member - he was always under suspicion for being a writer, he didn't ride a chopped Harley Davidson (He rode a BSA, which he totalled one night, and almost himself with it), and he certainly didn't (un)dress the part. Despite this, whenever Thompson was at any mass meeting, he seems to have been between two stools - his association with the gangs almost got him strung up by local vigilantes, while he was always conscious of the Angels' potential for violence. Things came to a head when he was beaten up by them in 1966.

AGENT B